The subject matter of the present disclosure broadly relates to the art of gas spring devices and, more particularly, to end members including a crimp area having improved structural integrity as well as gas spring assemblies including such an end member. Additionally, suspension systems can include one or more of such gas spring assemblies.
The subject matter of the present disclosure may find particular application and use in conjunction with components for wheeled vehicles, and will be shown and described herein with reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the subject matter of the present disclosure is also amenable to use in other applications and environments, and that the specific uses shown and described herein are merely exemplary. For example, the subject matter of the present disclosure could be used in connection with gas spring assemblies of non-wheeled vehicles, support structures, height adjusting systems and actuators associated with industrial machinery, components thereof and/or other such equipment. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to use associated with gas spring suspension systems of wheeled vehicles.
Wheeled motor vehicles of most types and kinds include a sprung mass, such as a body or chassis, for example, and an unsprung mass, such as two or more axles or other wheel-engaging members, for example, with a suspension system disposed therebetween. Typically, a suspension system will include a plurality of spring devices as well as a plurality of damping devices that together permit the sprung and unsprung masses of the vehicle to move in a somewhat controlled manner relative to one another. Movement of the sprung and unsprung masses toward one another is normally referred to in the art as jounce motion while movement of the sprung and unsprung masses away from one another is commonly referred to in the art as rebound motion.
Gas spring assemblies of various types, kinds and constructions are well known and commonly used. Additionally, known gas spring assemblies are typically available in a wide variety of sizes and load capacities. Even so, gas spring applications continue to be developed that demand greater gas spring performance, often in increasingly smaller packages. In many cases, such performance advancements include increased load capacity. One way that the load capacity of a given gas spring assembly can be improved is by increasing the gas pressure within the spring chamber thereof. In some cases, known gas spring constructions that utilize metal end members and crimped metal ring connections may be capable of operation at such increased gas pressure levels.
In addition to performance increases, there is also a continuing trend to reduce overall weight of vehicle suspension systems, and reducing the weight of gas spring assemblies can be one contributing factor to achieving targeted weight reduction goals. As such, end members for gas spring assemblies are commonly formed from polymeric materials, such as fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. However, such constructions can result in a corresponding reduction in strength and rigidity, which can be problematic in applications in which increased gas spring performance is desired.
Consequently, a need exists to meet these competing goals while still retaining comparable or improved performance, low cost of manufacture, ease of assembly and/or other desired features of gas spring assemblies.